Pencil



Sept. 10, 1940. M. E. TRoLLl-:N

PENCIL Filed May 4, 1940 Patented Sept. l0, 1940 Martin s. Tranen, st. Brown da Bigelow, tion of Minnesota Paul, Minn., assigner to St. Paul, Minn., a corpora- Application May 4, 1940, Serial No. 333,36

6 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical pencils wherein a cap is adapted to fit over the eraser and Where the barrel and the cap are ordinarily made of molded plastic material.

A 'feature resides providing a mechanical pencil which is formed with operating head which is adapted to be rotated to operate the mechanism of the pencil. Where a plastic Cap covers the operating head and the eraser and this plastic cap is required to engage the eraser holder or tube, it is necessary that a means of engagement be provided between the comparatively soft plastic cap and the eraser tube, so as to compensate for wear which takes piace in the putting on and taking ori of the cap and which at the same time will provide a gripping means between the non-metallic cap and the metallic socket for the eraser. This is particularly true because to operate the mechanism of the pencil it is necessary to rotate the head and to accomplish this the operator grips the plastic cap and twists it in a clockwise direction which drives the operating mechanism of the pencil forward to propel the lead out of thewriting end of the pencil.

This invention provides a gripping means which has a tendency to increase the force between the plastic or non-metallic cap and the socket which holds the eraser. At the same time this means which has an increasing gripping force with the cap, acts to provide a resilient compensating irictional engagement with the inside of the operating non-metaliic cap.

The features and objects will be more clearly and fully dened throughout the specification and claims.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification: p

Figure l is a longitudinal section through my pencil showing the operating parts of the same.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of the eraser or operating end of the pencil.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure l. i

Figure i is a similar section to Figure 3, excepting in Figure the cap which covers the eraser has been removed.

The pencil A is formed with a plastic or nonmetallic barrel i0 which is adapted to inclose the operating mechanism i which consists of a lead pusher I2 having an operating end i3 which bears against the rear end of the writing lead lli. The pusher 22 is adapted to be operated by rotating the slotted center tube i5 which is an.- chored at ifi to the eraser socket il. The eraser (Cl. 1Z0-18) socket Il" is formed of metal and provided with an extending sleeve portion i8 which engages directly by friction the center tube i5 vto form a rigid connection betvveenthe eraser socket il and the center tube i5. Thus when the eraser socket l1 is rotated, the center tube iii is rotated, causing the pusher i3 to engage against the threads I9 and thus operate the pusher in the direction desired in accordance with the rotation of the head II.

The eraser socket supports the eraser iii within the same and the eraser is adapted to be covered by the non-metallic or plastic cap 2i so as to normally conceal the in the socket Il when it is not in use. The is adapted to be engaged by a holder 2E which is formed with the bead-like edges shown in Figure which grip into the eraser and this holder is formed so as to iit down into the socket il and thus provide a means of holding the eraser so that it can 20 be more easily inserted in the socket il by providing a metal-to-metal contact between the holder 22 and the inside of the socket il.

'I'he eraser socket il has its body portion cut to form two or more spring operating ears 23 which have biting edges 2G formed on the free end of the same. The spring ears E3 provide the spring means between the' inner surface of the non-metallic cap 2i and the eraser socket I'l for compensating for Wear which takes place in the use of the cap 2i by reason of removing the cap Whenever it is desired to use the eraser 20.

The sharp edges 24 are turned out slightly, such as takes place when metal is out out, forming a slight burr on the edge 2li and these edges form a biting means which engages the inner surface of the cap 2l when the same is turned clockwise to operate the center tube i5 of the pencil. Thus the biting edges 2li on the spring ears 23 form a positive engaging means between the plastic cap 2i and the eraser socket Il.

Therefore it is apparent by cutting the ears 23 from the body of the socket il, I provide spring tooth-like engaging elements between the socket and the cap 2i to cause a positive gripping action between these two elements, causing them to rotate together even after long use and after considerable wear has taken place between the inner surface of the cap 2i and the eraser socket Il. By this means of construction I provide a positive operating means for rotating the mechanism of my pencil A.

In accordance with the patent Statutes I have described the principles of operation of `rny pencil, and I desire to have it understood that the and the cap which covers the socket and the eraser and which ordinarily is made of plastic Y or non-metallic material; however, I desire to have it understood that this cap may be made of any suitable material, even metal, if desired.

I claim:

1. A lead propelling means, an eraser socket for operating said means, and spring ears formed from the body of said eraser socket and having sharp free edges adapted to engage the inner surface of an eraser cap to provide a positive rionslipping engagement between the eraser cap and the eraser socket.

2. An eraser socket for mechanical pencils which is adapted to be rotated to operate the mechanism of the pencil including a cylindrical body portion, gripping means cut from said body portion, a cap for covering said eraser socket, and sharp burr-like edges formed on the free edge of said gripping means to provide a positive engagement between said eraser cap and said eraser socket.

3. The combination of an eraser socket and a cap for covering the same, including an eraser socket, a thimble-like cap adapted to cover the eraser andr socket, and spring ratchet-like engaging means formed between said eraser socket and said eraser cap having biting edges adapted to engage said cap for covering the eraser and to form a positive gripping means between the cap and the eraser socket during the rotation of said socket and cap to operate a pencil.

4. The combination of an eraser socket for supporting an eraser of a pencil, a cap for covering the socket and the eraser therein, including a cylindrical-like wall forming the sides of said eraser socket, a cap having a cylindrical-like portion adapted to cover the eraser and said socket, and spring ears cut from the walls of said eraser socket and having a sharp free edge adapted to engage the inner surface for said cap covering the eraser and socket to form a positive grip between said eraser socket and said cap.

5. A pencil including a non-metallic body portion, a lead operating mechanism within said body portion including a rotatable member, an eraser socket secured to said rotatable member in a manner to rotate the same when the eraser socket is rotated, a non-metallic eraser covering cap adapted to t over said eraser socket, and spring ears formed from the body of said eraser socket and having edges adapted to engage the inner surface of said non-metallic cap for covering the eraser socket and eraser.

6. An eraser socket for a mechanical pencil which is adapted to operate the mechanism of said pencil to propel and repel a writing lead7 a cylindrical body portion forming the walls of said eraser socket, spring ears out from said body portion and formed with a sharp slightly outwardly turned longitudinal free edge, whereby when an eraser cap is slipped over said eraser socket, said sharp longitudinal edges will bite longitudinally on the inner wall of the eraser socket and form a positive engagement between the eraser socket and the cap for covering the eraser to provide a non-slipping operating means for a mechanical pencil.

MARTIN E. TROLL-EN. 

